Blog

Classic literature buffs are sure to enjoy this book. In Plotted: A Literary Atlas, author and San Francisco-based illustrator Andrew DeGraff has created 19 idiosyncratic and highly detailed maps based on the landscapes and locales in popular literature that offers readers a new way of looking at their favorite fictional worlds. Each chapter begins with a short essay by the book's editor Daniel Harmon with a somewhat philosophical look at some great classics.

Tracy Chevalier’s latest book At the Edge of the Orchard is set in the 1830’s and 1850’s in Ohio and California. One of the reasons that I like to read historical fiction is that I learn new things. And I learned new things about apple trees, redwoods, sequoias, and the real life people--Johnny Appleseed, William Lobb, and Billie Lapham from At the Edge of the Orchard.

Sherryl Woods is one of my all-time favorite authors. If you enjoy reading appealing, character-driven stories infused with the flavor and fragrance of the South, her Sweet Magnolia novels can't be beat. I just finished Where Azaleas Bloom and could not put it down. With all the turmoil in the world today, sometimes it helps to escape to a small town setting where everyone pulls together to help those in need.

Lily and the Octopus by debut author Steven Rowley is a book about a 12-year-old dachshund (Lily) who has a brain tumor (the octopus). Lily’s human, Ted, discovers Lily’s tumor but cannot face up to it so he calls it the octopus. Ted is a gay man who works as a freelance writer in Los Angeles and has ended his long-term relationship with Jeffery. Ted is a bit self-absorbed and sees a therapist to work through some emotional issues although the sessions are not helpful.

Dementia can’t be prevented, but progression of the disease can be slowed through exercising the mind. Get a fun mental workout at Brain Aerobics 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 12, in the Fond du Lac Public Library’s new Idea Studio. The program is free; no registration required.

Does your money seem to disappear faster than a snow cone in summer? Want to go on vacation without going into debt? Family Living Educator Michelle Tidemann will provide budgeting tips to help you better manage your money at a free program at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 14, at the Fond du Lac Public Library. Registration is recommended at the Calendar or by calling the library Help Desk at (920) 322-3929. Drop-ins are welcome also.

The American Red Cross is holding a blood drive at the Fond du Lac Public Library from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 27. Donors must be 17 years old (or 16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Donors can schedule their appointment at www.redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.